Posted on 02/20/2022 11:21:16 AM PST by paladinkc
The electrochemical conversion of ammonia to dinitrogen in a direct ammonia fuel cell (DAFC) is a necessary technology for the realization of a nitrogen economy. Previous efforts to catalyse this reaction with molecular complexes required the addition of exogenous oxidizing reagents or application of potentials greater than the thermodynamic potential for the oxygen reduction reaction—the cathodic process of a DAFC.
(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...
When I take a hundred mile drive through farm country to in-laws, I pass by a dozen ammonia storage facilities of various sizes, a couple huge cold storage facilities with ammonia, and even an ammonia production facility.
Worst I’ve heard of them is someone making a mistake or doing something stupid and inhaling some ammonia, which can damage lungs or freeze some flesh, but nothing for years.
Liquid ammonia, not ammonium hydroxide, requires refrigeration for storage and manufacturing, but nowhere near the amount of refrigeration needed for liquid hydrogen. I know this because I prepared some in freshman chemistry lab decades ago.
Ammonia economy bump.
It seems that ammonia is the product of the decomposition of organic waste matter. So it is available in nature and is being regenerated all the time.
Burning ammonia yields nitrogen and water.
That makes this worth looking into.
But what about methane? Why aren’t they collecting and burning cow farts? Combustion of methane yields CO2 and water. Less desirable.
It’s not like ammonia is needed for anything like raising crops…
And it’s made from ‘fossil fuels’!
Not always. Wastewater plants and chicken barns produce, among others, large amounts of ammonia.
“Mosquito Coast,” was the title, I believe.
Yeah, the Ford character really had it together for the first half of the movie; then became pretty deranged after his unwanted experience with evil.
“It is used in every large commercial refrigeration system”
A refrigeration guy told me once that large units are safer using ammonia because, unlike freon, if there’s a leak you can smell the ammonia and take action. Freon is odorless and you can suffocate without realizing what’s happening.
Thank you for the correction. I learn something new every day.
It’s used very widely. I mean a lot. Any frozen food distribution center I’ve ever been in had them. I used to be involved in rebuilding the screw compressors that ran them.
I did not know that. Why is it not used in residential homes? Why are we stuck with ineffecient R-whatever? It seems it must burn compressors out quickly, as newer units burn up quickly, while my 1980’s refers work great. The worst that happens is the compressor goes out, then you are stuck with replacing the pump and the R-19 system....expensive and illegal..... Instead, spend $1,200 and get a new one that will last 5 years max.
No, it’s not. It is produced when coking coal; a process the greens hate but is critical for steelmaking. Or, ammonia can be produced by the Haber-Bosch process, which is in widespread use, primarily for making fertilizers. The “fixing” of nitrogen (getting nitrogen to combine chemically with other substances which is very difficult as nitrogen is generally quite inert) was considered one of the greatest chemical problems/advances and was solved in the early 1900’s. Most chemists would opine that being able to create ammonia (and thus fertilizers) from atmospheric nitrogen is responsible for the existence of half or more of the world’s population.
its not safer if the pipe breaks.
PI NH3
Insane! First you have to make ammonia out of natural gas!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.